Attachable can dolly



Oct. 16, 1962 A. J. BARON ATTACHABLE CAN DOLLY Filed Jan. 25, 1961 INVENTOR. ALFRED J. BARON BY [7 ATTQRNEY ilnited rates 3,058,755 ATTACHABLE CAN DOLLY Alfred 3. Baron, 3168 Penrose Drive, Toledo 14, Ohio Filed Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,411 1 Claim. (Cl. 28035) This invention relates to dollies for relatively heavy cans or drums for the purpose of rendering them ambulatory, but more particularly to a dolly of this character that can be conveniently attached to and detached from the can or drum.

Objects of this invention are to produce a can dolly which is readily and conveniently attached to and detached from the bottom end of the can and, when in position of use, facilitates the transporting of the can from place to place; which can be tightly clamped in place by the manipulation of a minimum number of fastening elements; which is so designed that it can be economically manufactured on a quantity basis; which consists of a relatively few number of parts which are so constructed that they can be easily compacted for storage or shipping purposes; and which embodies the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and assembly hereinafter described.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereiuafter appear, and for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a top perspective View of an open mouth can or drum to the bottom end of which the dolly is attached;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view partly in section showing a can clamped to one of the supporting arms of the dolly;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the supporting dolly, only one of the supporting arms being fully illustrated;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on the line 44 of FIGURE 3 FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of one of the supporting arms of the dolly, the other two arms being shown in fragment; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the outer end of one of the arms with the caster removed.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a dolly generally indicated at 10 which, as shown in FIGURE 1, is attached to the bottom end of an upright can or drum 11, the latter having a cylindrical side wall 12 and an open top. The bottom end of the drum is closed by an upwardly recessed bottom wall 13 which provides with the lower edge of the cylindrical wall 12 an annular supporting depending flange 14.

The dolly 19 comprises three equidistantly spaced radially disposed arms 15, each of which is formed from a metal tube. Each of the arms 15 has a flattened inner end portion 16 which is formed with a longitudinally elongate slot 17. The outer end portion of each arm is tubular as indicated at 18 and is square in cross section. The tubular end portion 18 provides the can supporting portion of each arm and thi portion is substantially raised above the flattened inner portion 16, particularly as indicated on FIGURE 3. The outer end of the tubular outer end portion is closed by a cap 19 suitably pressed thereon.

3,058,755 Patented Oct. 16, 1-962 Adjacent the cap 19 is a caster which includes a wheel 21} which may be rubber-tired and is carried by a yoke bracket 21 having a vertical stem which extends into a Socket member 22. The socket member 22 is pressed through a hole 22a (FIGURE 6) for receiving the stem portion and in which the stem and associated parts may rotate as will be readily understood.

Spaced inwardly from the socket member 22 is a post 23 which extends through a round hole formed in the tubular portion 18. The end of the tube which projects above the end portion 18 is flattened to provide a head 25 which is disposed transversely of the tube and which overlies the hole 24. The opposite end of the post is upset as indicated at 26, thereby to retain the post securely in position.

Spaced outwardly from the post 23 is a bracket 27 which is similar to the post 23 in that ithas an upper flattened head which is also transverse of the tubular portion 18 and an upset bottom end for securing the bracket in position. The flattened head of the bracket 27 is pro vided with a transversely disposed screw-threaded hole for receiving a set screw 28.

The three arms of the dolly are connected by a single headed bolt 29 which is inserted from above through the aligned slots 17 and is secured by a washer and nut 30 on the underside of the arms.

In practice, the dolly is applied to the can or drum when the latter is upside down. Where the can has a handle, it is preferred that one of the arms be attached directly beneath the same as indicated on FIGURE 1, since this arrangement aids in trundling the can. To apply the dolly, the rim or supporting flange 14 of the can is inserted between the facing flattened heads of the post 23 and bracket 27 of each arm, whereupon the set screw 28 is tightened firmly to clamp the flange 14 against the flattened head 25 of the post 23. After one of the arms is so mounted, the other two are arranged in equidistantly spaced relation and similarly clamped in position. Thereafter the screw and nut assembly 30 is tightened for securing the arms in their relative position. It will be seen that the bolt 29 is free of the bottom wall 13 of the can because of the depressed inner end portions 16 of each of the arms. Manifestly the dolly may be removed from the can by merely loosening the set screws 28. By loosening the washer and nut 30 on the bolt 29, it will be apparent that the several arms can be swung together to compact them for storage or shipment.

Numerous changes in details of construction and arrangement may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In combination with a can having a closed bottom wall and a supporting peripheral flange depending beyond the bottom wall, a dolly comprising a plurality of independent arms arranged radially with their inner ends in overlapping arrangement, each of said arms comprising a metal tube with the inner ends flattened, an elongate slot in each inner arm at the flattened inner end portion, a bolt and nut assembly passing through said slots for securing said overlapped arm portions, the outer end portion of each arm being raised above the overlapped inner end portions, a caster wheel assembly on the outer end of each arm substantially at the terminal portion thereof, a the can flange thereby to clamp the can flange to respecpost on the outer end of each arm inwardly spaced from tive ones of said first posts. said caster 'wheel assembly adapted to abut against the r inside of the can flange, a second post on the outer end References Cited in the file of this patent of each arm spaced outwardly from said first post adapted 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS to be arranged on the outside of the can flange, said sec- 0nd post proyided with an internally threaded screw r'e- 198,523 3161111110115 1366- 2 7 ceiying aperture therein, and a set screw in threaded en- 2,772,839 R ym n s Dec. 4, 1956 gagement with the screw receiving aperture'in each of ,878, 8 L ng Mar. 17, 1959 said second posts for impingement against the outside of 1 0 

